Car Rental - Lower prices yes, but is it better?

To some people, owning a car is just for transportation. Something to get them around wherever they want to, whenever. To others, it is a status symbol. The more expensive the car, the more they want it. To yet another group, it is a passion. They drive because they have a need for speed and like the feel of being in control. Whatever the reason may be, car owners can now even make a bit of money from owning a car.

With the relaxation of the private car hire regulations, the republic has seen an increase in the number of owners renting out their cars. This is evident in the number of classifieds posted in the papers and on popular online classified portals like, mocca.com and Yahoo!. While this would provide for more competitive pricing to the consumers, caveat emptor, car owners who rent out their cars often do not provide sufficient coverage in terms of insurance and breakdown support. Especially when you are traveling across the causeway.

Unless you are a mechanic or someone who spends a lot of time reading up on cars and learning everything there is to know about cars, you really have no idea of the condition a car is in. The car may not be serviced regularly or has been in an accident. It may just give up on you halfway to Ayer Keroh. If the car breaks down, you are really left stranded and can only depend on the PLUS Ronda team. Even though they are pretty efficient, you will still have to pay them for the services rendered. Plus (pardon the pun), you will have to get the car towed to the nearest workshop, wait for the car to be ready, pay the mechanic, and only then can you be on your way. It could easily take hours. Hassle. Big hassle and a lot more to pay for.


With the private rentals, you hardly get a proper contract and receipt. Usually, the money exchange hands, you get the key and off you go. All is good if you do not get yourself into any predicament. But what happens when you get yourself into an accident? Who pays for the damages? Do you pay the excess in the owner's insurance or do you pay full damage? These are questions that should ask before you decide to rent any car from anyone. All these should be in black and white so that you, as the customer, know what goes on exactly and will not be cheated or duped into any unnecessary payments.

The best thing about renting a private vehicle would be the price. It is definitely cheaper. But as the saying goes, you pay peanuts and you get monkeys.

Being an established global brand, Avis is not resorting to cheaper prices to bring in the customers. Instead, they promise an experience. An experience not to be forgotten. The Avis experience. For just a little bit more, you get 24-hour roadside assistance anywhere in Singapore and the Malaysian peninsula. You get complete insurance coverage with the lowest excess amount in the market. You also get unparalleled service from the Avis family.

The fleet at Avis ranges from the small and economical Kia Picanto to the luxurious Jaguar and Mercedes marques. Avis caters to the unique needs of their customers, as each rental can be tailor made. From one day to as long as five years, Avis has a car for everyone at any time. In 2007, Avis has increased its fleet by over 25% and they are still expanding to accomodate the demands of their growing clientele.

Driving in Singapore can sometimes get very tricky, especially if you are in an area that is not familiar to you. Singapore roads are not quite as easy to navigate, as we would like to think it is. If that were the case, navigation systems would not even make it to the Singapore market. Avis is the only company that provides a GPS navigation system on its cars. This GPS navigation system comes with complete maps. It covers Singapore and the entire Malaysian peninsula.

Speaking of the Malaysian peninsula, to my understanding, with Avis , should your car break down on the North-South Highway, a replacement car will be given to you and an Avis staff will attend to the broken down car. You need not wait on the broken down car. Time and money saved for a more pleasurable driving experience. At Avis , their cars are maintained in tiptop condition at all times. On average, the cars on the Avis fleet are about 1 year old. So the likelihood of its cars breaking down is very slim. But it is a crazy world we live in and you never know what is going to happen.

Avis also offers what they have tagged as "preferred service". As the name suggests, "preferred service" gives the customer benefits like express booking and express check out. The "preferred service" database would log in the particulars of the customer; so that all that is needed would be the membership card number. The customer just needs to go online or call their hotline with the number and book a car in less than a minute. By the way, this preferred service is free of charge. The only car rental company in Singapore offering this service free to its customers is Avis .


Avis is also the only company that operates in both terminals 1 and 2. They are also the only company to operate in China. No other car rental company in the world has been able to conduct operations in China. For that, it says something about the company's commitment to providing transport solutions to everyone in any part of the world.

So, next time you decide to rent a car, ask yourself. What happens should the car break down? Do I want a worry-free holiday drive up north? Will I be fully insured? If you want your every query answered, come to Avis . Afterall, they try harder.